Life and Other Things that Never go as Planned
by reachgracebyfalling
Summary: Gwen/Owen
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine; never will be. I'm just borrowing it.

Life and Other Things That Never go as Planned.

Chapter One — Hiding in plain sight.

Gwen's pulse fluttered rapidly as she tried to focus on Owen's voice.  
"-have to take better care of yourself… can't keep patching you up like this"  
"Owen"  
They were startled by how scared she sounded.  
"You'll be fine, just hold still"  
"Owen?" Gwen grabbed his hands, catching his eyes "the baby…"

The house felt empty, hollow. Gwen tapped her fingers on the kitchen bench, the sound almost echoing. She glanced at her watch; 10, 11, 12 seconds since she last looked. Gwen stood; crossing over to the window, tapping at a corner of glass, startling the spider that she couldn't quite bring herself to remove. She jumped as the timer buzzed and turned, heading down the hall. In the bathroom Gwen reread the instructions, on the side of the box (1 line for no, 2 lines for yes) and dared herself to look at the small white stick.

"Baby?"  
Owen reached for his bag.  
"Gwen, what baby?"  
Her eyelids drooped.  
"Shit" Owen shook her arm "Gwen, how far along-"  
"Four-" she sounded faint.  
"Four what? Four weeks?"  
"Months…" her voice trailed off.  
"Almost four months, just over four months. Gwen!?"  
Her eyes snapped open, then fell shut again.  
"Fuck, fuck. Shit"  
Owen rolled Gwen over, noticing that her jacket fell a few inches lower than the ones he remembered. She must've over slept and dressed in a hurry this morning, the price tag still attached to her pants. Owen recognised the label; a franchised maternity wear store. Sleek, classy, well designed and expensive. A cousin had once (and only once), dragged him along, wanting a 'man's opinion'. Gwen had obviously chosen styles that hid any new bumps.

Owen grimaced. She'd landed on a broken bottle, falling with enough force to cut through her clothes. It wouldn't have been serious, if she hadn't already been bleeding else where or pregnant.  
Owen activated the coms.  
"Jack?"  
"We're kind of busy Owen"  
Owen heard a crash through his earpiece.  
"I'm taking Gwen back to the Hub"  
"She alright?" Jack sounded distracted.  
"She needs stitches, maybe some blood"  
"Get Ianto out here to give us a hand"

For all of Owen's faults, he could work efficiently and competently. He waited until he'd finished stitching Gwen's wounds, started a blood transfusion and discretely printed a few sonogram pictures before allowing himself to think.  
Think, about four months ago. That week they'd been in the Himalayas or just back home. There'd been a sudden storm and they'd hidden in a cave. Two small chambers, Ianto and Tosh in the rear, wrapped in their sleeping bags, next to each other and the fire for warmth. Gwen heading for her sleeping bag, Owen to keep watch. How ever it had started; fear, anger, pheromones, or adrenaline, it ended up against the cave wall. Like a quickie in the proverbial bathroom stall.

To be continued…


	2. Persephone and Hades

Disclaimer: Not mine; never will be. I'm just borrowing it.

Life and Other Things That Never go as Planned.

Chapter Two — Persephone and Hades

* * *

Rhys was waiting for Gwen to get home; most of his things packed into boxes and suitcases by the door.  
"I thought we were…" Gwen stared at the untouched mug of tea "I thought we were good. Putting things behind us"  
"It's been falling apart Gwen" Rhys sighed "It hasn't been good for about a year"  
"You don't have to…" she glanced at the boxes "Where are you going? How long have you known?"  
Rhys couldn't look at her.  
"Just before the election, I was going to talk you in to coming. But we fought and you ran off to where ever"  
"That was three weeks ago" her knuckles turned white "And when I got back…"  
"I'm sorry Gwen" Rhys reached for his keys, removing the key for the flat "I left an envelope by the computer. The lease, the insurance papers"  
"You'd better go then" Gwen sounded distant "Hope the door hits you on the way out"  
"Most of my mails been redirected" he dropped a card in front of her "But, just in case"  
Gwen glanced at the address, some where in Manchester.  
"Get out"  
"Gwen… I'm sorry"  
Gwen waited, making sure he'd really left, before throwing the mug at the door.

* * *

Gwen had moved out soon after, not wanting the constant reminders. She'd stayed at the Hub while house hunting. The contents of a half forgotten savings account ('£ 1672 untouched for 10 year plus interest and the results of a few well paying, if risky investments equalled how much!?'), allowed her to put a deposit down on a house; 2 bedrooms upstairs, kitchen/dinning/lounge on the ground floor. Bathroom and laundry tacked on sometime in the 50's. Lavender, roses and an apple tree enclosed by a spindly wrought iron fence and gate. A walkway led towards the back of the house, where there was a small vegetable patch, herb lawn and the old outside laundry which was used as a garden shed. Ianto helped her with the paper work, agreed to be a co-signatory on the mortgage and got her a discounted rate with the guy who did the repairs at the Hub. Owen only knew where Gwen lived because Tosh and Ianto had made him help paint and move furniture.

Owen had helped a still slightly sedated Gwen change clothes and get into bed. He'd waited until she was asleep before heading towards the kitchen. He paused, looking into the second bedroom. The office furniture he'd helped move in (desk, filing cabinets and a pair of large heavy bookshelves) had been moved, squashed into a corner. The computer was probably downstairs. Owen stepped into the room. The changing table, tallboy and narrow set of bookshelves are new, as are the curtains, blue with fluffy white clouds. The set Tosh had put up had been dark green, fresh out of the packet. Owen can see where Gwen wants the crib to go. He inspected the book shelves. One was filled with 'what to do when you're expecting' type books, another held children's book, nursery rhymes and a handmade stuffed rabbit. Owen recognised it from a market Gwen said she shopped at and the stall he'd almost knocked over, while running after alien tech. A slightly battered looking teddy bear sat on the changing table, a baby name book next to it.

In the kitchen Owen puts the kettle on and riffles though the cupboards. Gwen's gotten rid of any alcohol and the only coffee he can find is de-decaffeinated. Owen has to think to remember the last time she ordered anything alcoholic. Gwen had never been a big drinker, usually just a pint and a shooter or cocktail if Tosh was having one. Bit it's been about three months since she's ordered a drink that didn't involve the words 'virgin' or 'soft'. He'd thought it had to with Jack not being the only one drinking water.  
There's a no smoking sign on the kitchen bench. About half a dozen shakeable pancake mixes, five jars of blackberry jam and three jars of green cocktail onions in the pantry. The pomegranates in the fridge have Owen shaking his head to get rid the image of Gwen as Persephone, trapped in the Underworld, wondering if he or Jack was Hades.

Owen pulled out his phone, selected a number, waited while it rung.  
"Max?"  
"What the hell do you want Owen?"  
"A favour. I need you to do some stuff."  
"I'm on vacation. Can't it wait?"  
"It won't get done if we wait"  
"What exactly do you want me to do?"  
"Move some furniture. Sort out a security system-"  
"It can wait"  
"All without waking the pregnant lady."  
Owen waited impatiently.  
"Is there something you ain't telling me?" He heard Max sigh, "What's the address?"

To be continued.

AN: This story (6 chapters)is also posted on Whofic. I, however, object to being told to repost after fixing the punctuation the administrators told me to, when other fics are being posted with obvious spelling mistakes.


	3. Of all the People in the World

Disclaimer: Not mine; never will be. I'm just borrowing it.

Life and Other Things That Never go as Planned.

Chapter Three — Of all the people in the world…

"What were they doing here?"  
Owen jumped.  
"Jesus Gwen. You trying to give me a fucking heart attack?"  
"Why are you still in my house?"  
"They were moving furniture. And we need to talk"  
"Talk about what?"  
"Is it mine?"  
Gwen avoided his eyes.  
"I don't want to talk about it"  
"You shouldn't be out chasing after weevils"  
"I'm fine"  
Owen pulled out a kitchen chair.  
"You almost got gutted. Should still be in bed. Sit"  
"I'm not a dog that you can order around"  
"14 stitches in your back," he pulled the chair out further "more than 35 in your side. Sit"  
Gwen sank into the chair. Owen placed a mug in front of her. She eyed it suspiciously.  
"Chocolate, it's mostly milk"  
"How do I know you haven't put ret-con in it?"  
"I'd need Jack to authorise it. I haven't told him-"  
"I suppose you want a thank-"  
"Yet"  
Gwen rolled her eyes, finally sipping the drink.  
"Get over yourself Owen"  
He sighed.  
"Have you told anyone?"  
"My doctor"  
"I want his name and number"  
"She is none of your business"  
Owen lets her win that one.  
"Anyone else?"  
Gwen hesitated.  
"Martha Jones"

Jack had bought Martha down to the Hub; less than a month after he'd returned and never said how they had met. There was something about Martha Jones that Owen didn't like, he respected her, just didn't like her. She'd made Tosh laugh again, with jokes about family and arrogant interns. Tosh's laugh; almost a giggle, a counter point to Martha's; low and husky.  
When a weevil had run through a busy street, Martha had been an extra pair of steady hands and a calm voice. Almost too steady and calm in Owen's opinion. He'd asked her about it. Martha had given a lopsided smile, shrugged and only flinched later, when a ball had flown over her head.  
But what ever had happened to Jack, it had been bad. He'd lost weight, was sleeping less and if it had been anyone else Owen would have said he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Martha had taken one look at Jack and with a cold voice and an even colder pair of eyes, she'd had pulled Ianto into Jack's office and shut the door in their faces.  
Martha had Owen's respect; she still had to earn his trust.

"That's all? Your GP and Martha Jones?"  
"Martha guessed. And it's not anyone else's business"  
Owen took a calming breathe.  
"Is it mine or Rhys'?  
"Mine" Gwen slammed her hand on the table "Not yours. Not Rhys'. Mine"  
"So what are you going to do? Take a few months vacation time? Disappear, then come back like nothing happened?"  
"It's my life Owen"  
They were yelling at each other.  
"Or is it going to be a repeat of this morning? But instead of a few stitches," Owen slid the sonogram pictures across the table "I'll be doing an emergency C section!"  
"Get out!"  
"And what do I tell the kid Gwen? That you didn't let any-"  
Owen ducked sideways as the mug flew at his head, smashing against the cupboards.  
"Christ Gwen!"  
"Get out now" Her voice shook with anger.  
"I'm giving you a week" Owen reached for his jacket "You need to tell Jack. Or I'll tell him for you"

To be continued


	4. When All Things Are Being Said and Done

Disclaimer: Not mine; never will be. I'm just borrowing it.

Life and Other Things That Never go as Planned.

Chapter Four — When all things are being said and done.

Owen put his hand on the railing, placing his body close to the wall. Careful not to touch Gwen, just blocking her in. keeping his head towards the wall, letting the others see the expression on Gwen's face; knowing what they would be thinking. Just Owen and Gwen having another tiff.

"Where do you think you're going?" Owen kept his tone even, his voice low.  
"I'm doing my job Owen. Get out of the way."  
"No" He glanced at her face "You haven't told anyone."  
"My choice" Gwen tried to push past him.  
"I told you one week, I gave you two."  
"My life Owen, my decisions. Not yours. Not Rhy-"  
"Owen, get back to work. Gwen, hurry up," Jack flung on his coat "If you two want to have a lover's tiff, wait til everyone else has gone home."  
Tosh and Ianto watched, holding their breathes, waiting for Gwen to get that almost ashamed look on her face and for the pair to jump apart. Instead Owen stepped closer to Gwen and wrapped a hand around her wrist.  
"Let me go" Gwen tried not to sound as desperate as she felt.  
"No" There was a dangerous edge to Owen's voice.  
"Owen" Jack's voice held the same edge "Let Gwen go"  
Owen turned, the motion pulling Gwen behind him.  
"She's off field duty Jack" he glanced towards the doors "I'm taking her to the tourist office"  
Jack moved closer, signalling Ianto to do the same.  
"Why?"  
Owen took a few steps towards the doors, Gwen fighting him every inch.  
"You bastard" she hissed in his ear.  
"Jack, Torchwood Regulations Part 19. Torchwood 3/Cardiff Specific."  
"Tosh? Ianto? What's Part 19 Cardiff specific?"  
"You wrote it Jack"  
"It was a while ago Tosh" he took a step closer to Owen "Refresh my memory"  
"Torchwood Regulations Part 19. Torchwood 3/Cardiff Specific." Ianto cleared his throat "Any personnel; male or female, suspecting themselves to be pregnant, or experiencing any symptoms of or relating to pregnancy are to be suspended of their field agent status and report immediately to the base infirmary/medical officer, for the appropriate test(s)" Ianto took a breath. "Upon confirmation, said member of personnel is to place themselves in the outer office. Err, the tourist office and wait for further instructions."  
All eyes focused on Gwen. Owen tightened his grip on her wrist.  
"If you'll excuse us…"  
Gwen planted her feet.  
"Screw you Harper"  
Owen caught her hand, before it hit his face.  
"Been there, done that."  
He seemed to forget that they weren't the only two people in the room. Owen bought their hands down to rest on her stomach, standing close enough to kiss and spoke in a voice that made Gwen wish they where the only two people in the room.  
"And unless you prove otherwise, both of you are MY responsibility."

Gwen paced the length of the tourist office.  
"I feel like I've been sent to see the Head Master"  
"Gwen…"  
"What Jack?' she glanced at him "You want me to say I'm sorry?"  
"Is it Owen's?"  
She shrugged.  
"Is it Rhys'?"  
Gwen stopped in front of a display case, pulling out a pamphlet.  
"This is out of date"  
"Don't change the subject. Have you told Rhys?"  
"No" Gwen answered reluctantly.  
"Why not?"  
Gwen sounded tired, sad and she gripped the pamphlet so tight her knuckles turned white.  
"You know why"

Jack snuck up behind Tosh and Ianto.  
"What are you two doing?"  
Tosh eeped, jumping in her chair. Ianto didn't react; he'd seen Jack's approach in the computer screen. Jack leaned in, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. Tosh twitched nervously.  
"Good evening Sir." Ianto gave one of his rare smiles "Having trouble sleeping?"  
"I was sleeping fine," Jack nodded at the computer "Til' you woke me"  
"Ianto was just helping me with some paperwork" Tosh smiled, a little too brightly.  
Jack raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Ianto suppressed the urge to sigh.  
"We'll call it an inappropriate, but justified use of company facilities Sir"  
"Inappropriate, but justified?"  
"Yes Sir"  
Jack glanced at the computer screen.  
"Furries Monthly. How to Make Threesomes Work. I Dress in Women's Clothing and Hang Around in Bars; A guide to telling your friends and loved ones you're a cross dresser." Jack's eyebrow rose again "And who pissed you off?"  
Tosh was blushing slightly, but there was a dangerous look in her eyes.  
"Rhys"  
"Gwen's Rhys?" Jack asked, reading further down the page.  
"Yes sir"  
"Isn't three weeks a little late to be getting some petty revenge?"  
Ianto and Tosh glanced at each other. Tosh tapped at her keyboard, a new page appearing on the screen.  
"Rhys' credit card statement" she tapped the screen "He took his new girlfriend out to dinner"  
Jack glanced at the amount  
"Expensive" he murmured.  
"It was their two week anniversary" she told him.  
Jack said nothing for a few minutes, and then stood.  
"You're being careful?"  
Tosh grinned, delighted with her own intelligence.  
I'm working through his computer, using servers in Siberia, Las Vegas, Antarctica and Timbuktu."  
"Keep up the good work"  
Jack was almost at his office, when he paused and turned.  
"Does Gwen know?"

"I want you to go home"  
"And wait for you to bring the Ret-con?" Gwen asked bitterly.  
"No" Jack sighed "I've never given it to a pregnant woman. Never have, never will."  
Jack put an arm around Gwen's shoulder.  
"Ianto will take you home, you'll get some rest and in the morning-"  
"I'm not being fired?" she eyed him suspiciously.  
"No"  
"I'm not being Ret-conned?"  
"Asks the woman who broke through the last lot based on a knife she saw, in the dark, for about 5 seconds" Jack sighed "You'll be confined to this office, as Public Liaison; no weevils, no unknown alien tech."  
"Sounds boring"  
"Five different types of radiation shielding, fully self contained; in case of emergencies, petty cash to pay for take-out and," Jack looked her up and down, "In a couple of months, as much paid maternity leave as you need."  
He bought a chair out for Gwen to sit in.  
"You need four people Jack, not three. Soon as I leave Ianto and Owen will be at each other's throats. You'll be lucky if they don't blow each others brains out"  
Jack studied her more closely.  
"How far along are you?"  
"Now who's changing the subject?" She whacked Jack on the arm "Get me a list of people; I'll do the interviews myself."  
"It's just temporary" Jack nodded "How long have you known?"  
"The week after you got back" she smiled sadly "And at this point, I don't think it matters who the father is."

To be continued.


	5. Points Along the Path

Disclaimer: Not mine; never will be. I'm just borrowing it.

Life and Other Things That Never go as Planned.

Chapter Five — Points Along the Path.

Gwen's back ached, she hadn't seen her feet for the last two weeks and it felt like she had to go to the toilet every five minutes. Most of all, Gwen was bored. Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored.  
She'd finished all the UNIT reports, had selected her temporary replacement; who'd been Okayed on the conditions that Gwen started her maternity leave three weeks early and she had to convince Owen that Martha wasn't going to be replacing him. And there was still a month before her maternity leave began.  
"Now," the niggling voice of her consciousness, told her "would be a good time to make a few phone calls."  
Gwen ignored the voice; which sounded surprisingly like Julie Andrews and for the 7th time, checked her emails.  
"4 or 5 months ago" the voice continued smugly "would have been a better time to make these calls. Calls you know Owen will do himself tomorrow, if you haven't"  
Gwen groaned, squeezing her eyes shot, trying to block out the image of Owen calling her parents.  
"Hello, Mr/Mrs Cooper. We haven't met, but I knocked up your youngest daughter."  
When Gwen had told Owen that the only people she'd told had been her doctor and Martha Jones, she'd meant it.  
Gwen groaned again, wished for an extremely alcoholic drink and picked up the phone.  
"Mam, it's Gwen…"

"How can you look so calm?"  
Gwen raised an eyebrow.  
"I don't know what you mean?"  
"We are about to have dinner with your parents" Owen sipped his drink; water in deference to Gwen's non-alcoholic status "One of who has interrogated me and the other despises me"  
"Whom. And my mother does not despise you"  
"Gwen I care about you, a lot" Owen took her hand, gently caressing the palm with his thumb "but she asked you why you didn't try and convince Jack or Ianto that the baby was theirs"  
"She just-"  
"The three witches made Jack blush"  
"Will you stop calling my grandmother and my great aunts witches"  
"And your uncle seemed to think-"  
"Stop it" Gwen sighed "They're all going home tomorrow. Can we just get through tonight without the snide comments, weevils or the need for an ambulance?"

Gwen smiled without showing her teeth.  
"Rhys. How are you?"  
"Err, good" Rhys tried to look every thing except Gwen "And you?"  
"Busy. Work and every thing" Gwen raised her eyebrows questioningly, peering at the blonde woman at Rhys' right.  
"Err, um yes. Gwen Cooper. Alicia Doran. Alicia, Gwen."  
His eyes skitter nervously between his current girlfriend and his ex.  
"Sorry, been on my feet all day" Gwen leaned forward, holding her hand out "How long have you been seeing each other?"  
"Oh, only about seven months" Alicia's accent was from somewhere in the south of England "I've never been to Cardiff before. We're meeting Rhys' parents for lunch tomorrow"  
Gwen glanced around the pair, frowning slightly.  
"Any pointers?" Alicia continued, clearly realising, exactly who Gwen had been.  
Gwen fixed the smile back on her face.  
"His mother's allergic to strawberries and likes to taste what other people have ordered"  
"So, no strawberries?" Alicia smiled.  
"No strawberr-"  
"Listen mate" Owen placed a hand on Rhys' shoulder "Why don't you leave Gwen alone. Hmm?"  
"Owen!"  
"We were just talking-"  
"What's going on?"  
Owen glanced at Alicia.  
"Just settling an old disagreement"  
"Owen, let Rhys go"  
"Gwen" Owen's grip tightened "We talked about this"  
Gwen smiled apologetically at Alicia and sighed.  
"No Owen, you lectured. I ignored you"  
"You don't need this kind of stress-"  
"Owen Harper" Gwen stood "I'm pregnant. Not an invalid"

"Jack's a good name"  
"It's not even your real name"  
"Still a good name"  
"I'm not calling my child Jack or Ianto or Toshiko or Owen or Martha. And don't even think about Mary, Diane, Eugene, Rhys, Alicia or Suzy, or Max. Or anything else that sounds like you're naming a dog, a cat or a horse"  
"What about Rose?"  
Jack ducked as Gwen and Martha threw things at him.

Gwen wouldn't share these moments for the world. Everything else was a group effort; Gwen's private doctor, Martha, Owen, Tosh, Jack, Ianto. Is anything else happened, they found out. But these were a few moments that belonged to her and her alone. From the first slight almost not there flutters to the guaranteed career with Manchester United strength kicks. They belonged to Gwen Cooper. And she didn't have to share them with any one.

To be continued.


	6. Moments THat You Want to Last Forever

Disclaimer: Not mine; never will be. I'm just borrowing it.

Life and Other Things That Never go as Planned.

Chapter Six — Moments That You Want To Last Forever.

Gwen surveyed the Hub; taking a mental inventory. Martha sedated in the med-bay. Tosh's head resting on her desk, her arm in a cast. Celia; the temp, had left a note on her desk. She was at home, with a bad case of chicken pox. Ianto, a meticulously stitched cut marring his pretty face, was attempting to tidy the Hub and pretending that he couldn't see her. And Owen, having his ribs bandaged by a back from the dead, but otherwise fine, Jack.  
Gwen sighed, rubbing at the small of her back, coming to stand in front of Ianto. She sighed again as he tried to sweep around her.  
"Ianto. Take Tosh and Martha down to the cells we decked out as emergency accommodation." she took the broom from him "Have something to eat and then get some rest"  
He looked almost relieved.  
"What about…?"  
Gwen smiled, directing Ianto in the direction of Tosh's desk.  
"I'll deal with them"

Owen saw her first, carefully taking one step at a time.  
"What the hell are you doing down here?" he winced as Jack pulled the bandage tight "Better yet, how'd you get in here? We changed some of the codes"  
Gwen gave Jack a 'don't even bother' look and held out her hand.  
"I'll go see what Ianto's doing" he said, passing Gwen the bandage.  
Gwen glared at Owen.  
"Stanley let me in"  
"Stan Dobbs?!"  
"Don't you start. You think I don't know what happened?"  
"It was an accident"  
"Throwing yourself in front of a rampaging alien is an accident?! I've never really thought you were that stupid Owen" she pulled the bandages tighter "A tosser? Definitely. Stupid? Only when pissed!"  
"You want to talk about stupid? You had to get the bloody builder to let you in"  
"Tosh and Martha were supposed to come round. I got worried"  
Owen secured the bandages himself.  
"We can take care of our selves"  
"Really!" Gwen's voice dripped with scorn "Then explain to me, oh great and invulnerable one. Why is Tosh's wrist in a cast? Is Ianto going to end up with a scar across his face?" her voice rose "How many times did Jack die? How long before he was able to get up? And you-" Gwen stepped away from Owen, breathing heavily.  
Owen watched her, a worried look in his eyes.  
"What's the matter with you? Apart from hormones I mean?"  
"What's wrong with me?" Gwen slapped his arm "Tell me some thing Owen. If Martha's asleep and the pain meds mean that you shouldn't be operating a toy car-" she paused again, as if tying to catch her breath "Who exactly, is going to deliver my baby?!"

Owen's eyes went from Gwen's face to her belly. He watched as she gripped the bed railing so hard her knuckles turned white. Owen picked up his radio, tapping it on.  
"Jack?"  
"Has Gwen left yet?"  
"Err, no. Slight problem"  
"Get her out of here Owen. The regulations are in place for a reason"  
"She's having contraction's Jack. Less than two minutes apart"

"No!"  
"Gwen"  
"Wake Martha up, call an ambulance." Gwen gritted her teeth "Anything but him"  
"If you wanted an ambulance you should've called one hours ago!" Owen shouted, shaking his hand, trying to get feeling back in his fingers.  
"Jack is not delivering my baby"  
"Ianto then?"  
Gwen glanced at Ianto, all the colour leached from his face.  
"I can have an ambulance here in 20 minutes"  
"We wouldn't even reach the front door. How about a weevil Gwen? Or that translucent thing? I know, the pizza boy"  
Gwen squeezed Owen's hand again, panting through a contraction.  
"Fine, Fine. Where the hell is he?"  
"I'm right here sweetheart." Jack took the hand Ianto had been holding "Crushed Owen's hand yet?"  
"Working on it" Gwen closed her eyes.  
"How far apart are her contractions?"  
"Less than a minute"  
Jack glanced at Owen, but spoke to Gwen.  
You need to lie down, get as comfortable as you can. I need to see what's going on, okay?"  
"Jack do you know what you're doing?" Owen asked, helping Gwen into Jack's office, where Ianto was laying out blankets and towels.  
"My mother was a midwife, she thought that if I was going to be so good at the start of the process." Jack grinned at them "I'd better know my way around the end of it"  
"How many babies have you actually delivered Jack?"  
"11 or 12. Not counting the ones that spawned"  
Gwen smiled at Jack weakly.  
"Would it make a difference in I blindfolded you?"  
"He's probably got it memorised"  
Gwen gripped their hands hard enough to make both men wince.  
"Any comments about my vagina and I'll stick you in a cell with a weevil. Naked"

Jack had been alive long enough to know that, when giving birth, there wasn't that much difference between humans and the rest of the universe. There was screaming, threats of murder or castration and the anxious partner(s) hovering uselessly in the background. Gwen's labour, relatively speaking, is fast and easy. A little over 4 and a half hours from the first contraction (which she'd ignored), to the moment when Gwen realised she didn't have to push any more. She'd screamed and yelled and threatened both Owen and Rhys. And like anyone else in the galaxy that had given birth, had sworn to never do it again.

Jack wrapped the baby in one of his shirts, smiling as it stared up at him with Gwen's eyes. The baby, thankfully, didn't look like Owen or Rhys. Just Gwen. Who was now glaring at him, her arms out stretched. Jack grinned at her.  
"I get to be the godfather, right?"  
"Just hand over the baby Harkness" Owen ordered.  
Jack settled the baby into Gwen's arms, smiling as she stared at it, entranced. Gwen touched the blue shirt, silently asking the question.  
Jack muttered a blessing he'd heard galaxies and decades ago, gently brushing his thumb over the baby's brow and smiled.  
"It's a boy"

To be continued…


	7. The Family You're Going to Have

Disclaimer: Not mine; never will be. I'm just borrowing it.  
+

* * *

Life and Other Things That Never go as Planned.

Chapter Seven – The Family You're Going to Have.

* * *

+  
Andy stood in the centre of the room, stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

_Loudly_

"Just a quick announcement." He said in the sudden quiet, "Born Friday, that was yesterday for those who can't remember, at 9.03 pm, Brandon James Cooper. 8 pounds 1 ounce."

Andy glanced around. Several of his colleagues pulled out pieces of paper, studied them for a moment then threw them toward the bin.

Connie Walsh waved two bits of paper in the air.

"Bill and I were both half right." She passed them to Andy, explaining, "Bill got the gender and time. I picked weight and the day."

Andy consulted the 'Master Book of Cardiff Police In-house Betting Records (i.e. a 1973 diary). "You're closer than anyone else." He looked at the running tally, "£739. Small denominations in non-sequential bills ok?"

"Fine." Connie laughed, "But, Bill and I'll have 200 each, put 200 in the youth group's camping fund and get Cooper something nice with the rest, yeah?"

"Yeah." Andy nodded, "Any ideas?"

Bill finally looked up from his book. "A baby sitter." He dead panned.

Andy rolled his eyes. "I think it's a bit early for that, but thanks anyway. Anything else?"

"Yeah." Connie grinned, asking the question that everyone else was thinking, "How much does the poor kid look like Harper?"

+  
.

Gwen grabbed at Martha's arm. "There's an alien holding my baby!" She hissed.

Martha skidded to a stop, following Gwen's gaze, hesitating for a moment… "The blonde's Jenny, and the man hovering over her?" Gwen nodded. "That's Jack's Doctor."

Gwen's eyes scanned the Hub, finding Jack, half hiding behind his usual self-assured grin. She glanced back at Martha. Unspoken questions hung in the air.

"It's not my story to tell." Martha gave her a sad little smile, "And Jack's not ready to have everyone know all his secrets."

"Is there anything that I… should know?"

"Don't leave Owen and the Doctor alone". Martha told her seriously, "It'll be worse than that time Owen and Ianto got here early and the rest of us got in late."  
+

.

Owen finds her, resting, in Jack's office.

"There's an alien holding my kid! Why is an alien holding my kid?" He beginning to like soft patient mummy-Gwen and life's definitely more interesting when she's yelling at him, "How'd an alien get in here anyway?" But right now he wants to hear her laugh again, "Don't tell me Jack went out and got you a nanny at gun point?"

Gwen laughed for longer than Owen had ever seen her laugh before.

"That's," When she finally stopped, "Probably not a bad idea. I'll have to mention it to Jack," Gwen shook her head at him, "And Donna's human. Unless Ianto's letting aliens into his filing system?"

"Probably not." Owen smirked at her.

"Martha said I should rest and that it wouldn't hurt to let other people hold Brandon," She nodded out the door, "The blonde woman and the man in the suit?"

"The one's Jack's trying hard not to flirt with?"

"They're the aliens, friends of Jack and Martha's." Gwen threw him the towel hanging from the coat rack, "Now where the hell have you been?"

He'd been wondering when she'd get around to that.

"I was looking for a ring."

The shock is clear on Gwen's face. "Owen…"

He put the small matt black box on the desk. "I'm not asking you to say yes. I'm not even asking."

"Then why…?"

Owen pushed the door closed, leaning against it. "I've been… I was engaged once. Before I met Jack, before Torchwood…"

"What happened?" Her tone is a mix of comfort and concern. Curiosity would not be appropriate.

"An alien got into her brain. Everyone thought it was a brain tumour and we treated it like one." He's not looking at her, looking anywhere but her, "Katie, she died. And I ended up here."

Gwen picked up the box. The ring, probably platinum knowing Owen, is a wide flat band of Celtic knot work. It's clean and simple and won't catch on clothing or the light. "It's lovely."

"It's new." Owen finally glanced at her, "It's not…"

Gwen undid her necklace and carefully slipped the ring onto the chain. "It doesn't have to be anything."

Owen let his shoulder sag a little. "Thanks."

"Did you ever think about kids… with Katie…?"

He hung the towel back on the coat rack. "Only in that 'not straight away, but maybe in a few years we'll talk about it' way." He flashed a quick sharp smile, "Didn't really think I'd get around to having any now."

Her hands twisted together. "I put Cooper on the birth certificate."

"I know."

"You are listed as his father," She shrugged helplessly, "Rhys ran off so fast… And Brandon will always have my family if he needs looking after, but… I don't want every man in my life to be _uncle something or other_. You stayed, told me off when I needed telling off. It makes a difference." Her sudden smile bordered on the hysterical, "And while I'm sure Jack will literally die for Brandon, I don't really want him to be the one to teach him about the birds and the bees and things."

Owen took a deep breath, now seemed to be as good a time as any. "I also bought a house."

That seems to shock her more than the ring. "What about your apartment?"

"The reason why I bought it in the first place isn't at the top of my priorities anymore."

Owen finally looked her in the eyes. He looked very tired. "Is it a nice house?"

He shrugged, going a little pink. "I convinced your neighbours to sell me theirs."

Gwen's jaw dropped. "You did what? Which neighbours?"

"Mr and Mrs Evanson, for more than it's worth actually."

Mr and Mrs Evanson; 90 and 92 years old, too old to be living in the largest house on the street, but unable to afford any where smaller…..

_But could they afford to now?_

"And don't give me any mummy lectures." Owen was careful not to whine, "We might be good at some things Gwen-" She remembered, "-but living together would not be one of them."

"You really want this, don't you?"  
"I'm only just realising how much I really do."

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

A/N: This chapter is for madbean. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reminding me I need to finish some of this stuff.

* * *

The family you come from isn't as important as the family you're going to have.

Ring Lardner.


End file.
